Add Notes - Feature Suggestion

When using DT, I often find myself writing some basic info on the diagrams that I have printed out. Many times it is something like what Class each table/SP may belong to in my application, other times, it is just some basic info.

It would be nice to be able to 'attach' a note to an object in DT. If the note is attached, whenever the layout is re-applied, the note object should move with it.

Comments

That's a great idea. Better still, do you think that the "note" should simply be the MS_Description extended property? There could be an option to display this description in the object itself? Or do you have a requirement to have these notes saved outside the database?

Admittedly it's quite hard to find in SSMS. If you right click the object in Object Explorer, select Properties, then select Extended Properties. Type MS_Description as the Name and your text in the Value.

Alternatively if you own SQL Doc, you can use this to easily input descriptions.

MS_Description is the Microsoft standard way of documenting SQL Server objects. We put functionality in SQL Prompt that allows you to view the MS_Description simply by hovering over the object in your SSMS editor window.

I've noted that as a request. I think it would be good to have an option to see the MS_Description on the diagram.

If you right click on an object in the diagram and select "Show SQL", the creation SQL for the extended properties are listed as part of the script. Although these aren't directly visible, maybe you'll be able to use this as a way of storing information with each object? And you would be documenting your database at the same time!

The types of things that I write down on my print out are mainly for a quick reference... something I can look down at the printed diagram and refer to quickly - a cheat sheet if you will.

I can see the SQL in the script and the descriptions I tested it with do appear. Hopefully this feature can be implemented in the future so it will show it as part of the object on the screen. (Obivously with the ability to turn it off as I am sure some people don't want to see that on their dependency output)

That was exactly how I had envisaged it. Not everyone will want to see this, so it would need to be an option. Also, it is possible that some will want to use one extended property for Descriptions and one for casual Notes, in which case we could provide somewhere to change which extended property is displayed on the object.

Thanks for raising this. I definitely think there's good mileage in this idea.